Coming home

(EXCERPT) , By DONNA GEHRKE-WHITE

After five months, Lt. Col. T.J. Farrell was coming home after
overseeing a POW camp in Iraq as commander of Fort Lauderdale's Army
reserve unit.

As he stepped onto U.S. soil, however, he learned he had a final
assignment -- a rigorous medical checkup, including filling out a
five-page questionnaire on where he had served in Iraq and what
ailments he'd suffered.

''If you have any health concerns,'' Farrell said, ``they will find
them.''

With 100,000 troops returning to the States over the next few weeks --
the most since World War II -- Uncle Sam is trying to make right what
previous veterans said the government did wrong, namely glossing over
medical problems and ignoring the strains of returning to civilian
life.

''You would be in Vietnam one day and you'd be on a plane and be back
home within 24 to 48 hours,'' said Dr. John Vara, chief of staff at
the Miami VA Medical Center.

This time, VA medical centers are setting up special teams around the
nation to handle returning troops -- they're entitled to two years'
free care -- and sponsoring programs to help the vets re-enter
civilian...

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---------------------------
Otis Willie
Associate Librarian
The American War Library
http://www.americanwarlibrary.com